MASTER 

NEGATIVE 
NO.  94-82085- 14 


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Author: 


Sachse,  Julius  Friedrich 


Title: 


Franklin's  account  with 


the 

Place 


(( 


Lodge  of  masons 


5J 


[Philadelphia] 


Date 


[1899] 


MASTER   NEGATIVE  « 


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Franklin's  account  with  the  ''Lodge  of  masons"  1731-- 
1737,  as  found  upon  the  pages  of  his  daily  journal ;  read 
before  the  right  worshipful  Grand  lodge  F.  and  A.  M:  of 
Pennsylvania  at  the  annual  grand  communication  held 
at  Philadelphia,  December  27,  1898,  by  Brother  Julius 
Friedrich  Sachse  ...  [Philadelphia,  Lippincott  press, 
18991] 

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FRANKLIN'S 


ACCOUNT  WITH  THE 


"LODGE  OF  MASONS" 


1731— 1737 


AS  FOUND   UPON  THE  PAGES  OF  HIS 


DAILY     JOURNAL 


READ  BEFORE  THE 


Right  Worshipful  Grand  Lodge 


F.  AND    A.  M. 


OF    PENNSYLVANIA 


AT  THE  ANNUAL  GRAND  COMMUNICATION 

HELD    AT    PHILADELPHIA, 

DECEMBER  27,  1898 


■T 


Brother   Julius    Friedrich   Sachse 

Columbia  Lodge,  No.  91 


* 


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LIPriMCOTT     FKSSS,     PH  I  L  A  D  B  I.PM  I  A. 


FRANKLIN'S 


ACCOVMT   WITH   THK 


"LODGE    OF    MASONS" 

1731—1737- 

Ml 

Eight  Worshipful  Geand  Masteb  and  Bbethben  : 
It  will  be  recalled  that  one  of  the  last  important  acts 
performed  by  the  late  Brother  Clifford  P.  MacjCalla 
during  his  incumbency  as  Right  Worshipfiil  Grand 
Master  of  Pennsylvania  was  the  publication  of  several 
papers  and  documents,  showing  that  Philadelphia  was 
the  "Mother  city"  of  Freemasonry  in  America,  and 
that  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  was  the  oldest 
upon  the  Western  Continent. 

The  chief  evidence  used  by  Brother  MacCalla  to 
establish  these  claims  for  Pennsylvania  was  based 
upon  various  notices  and  advertisements  printed  by 
Benjamin  Franklin  in  his  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  claims 
which  were  strengthened  by  the  finding  of  the  indi- 
vidual Ledger  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  of  Philadelphia, 
dating  from  June  24,  1731,  to  June  24,  1738,  a  book 
which,  from  the  inscription  upon  the  cover,  is  known  as 
"  Liber  B." 


i 


Then  the  subsequent  discovery  by  the  writer  of  the 
"Journal  of  the  Lodge  held  at  the  Tun  Tavern  in 
Water  Street"  (Philadelphia),  from  June  28,  1749,  to 
June  24,  1755,  gave  us  an  insight  into  the  life  of  the 
third  Subordinate  Lodge  in  Pennsylvania.  A  copy  of 
this  interesting  volume  is  in  the  library  of  the  Grand 
Lodge. 

Notwithstanding  the  convincing  evidence  presented 
by  Brother  MacCalla,  the  claims  made  by  him  in  the 
interest  of  Pennsylvania  Masonry  were  hotly  disputed 
by  our  sister  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts. 

It  is  now  my  privilege  to  communicate  to  this  Right 
Worshipful  Body  some  additional  evidence  confirmatory 
of  the  position  so  ably  taken  by  Brother  MacCalla. 
This  new  proof  comes  in  the  shape  of  original  entries 
in  the  handwriting  of  Benjamin  Feanklin,  and  is 
nothing  less  than  his  personal  account  with  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  from  August,  1734,  to  August, 
1737.  It  also  shows  that  there  was  at  leaat  one  Lodge 
within  the  Province  outside  of  Philadelphia ;  this  was 
at  Lancaster.  The  account  further  offers  a  strong  in- 
ference that  our  own  Grand  Lodge  was  not  only  the 
oldest  and  most  important  Masonic  body  in  America, 
but  that  at  that  early  day,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
Lodges  of  both  Massachusetts  and  Carolina  were  sub- 
ordinate to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania. 

This  new  evidence  was  found  in  Franklin's  daily 
commercial  account-book  and  first  ledger.  This  book, 
an  ordinary  blank-book  bound  in  sheep,  fifteen  by  six 


inches  in  size,  of  the  style  in  vogue  during  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century,  bears  upon  the  fly-leaf  the 
legend,  "Benj"  Franklin'  Journal,  began  [*ic]  July  4, 
1730." 


/ 

INSCBIPTION  ON  FLT-LEAP  OF  FBANKLDl'S  JOUBNAL. 

In  the  fore  part  of  the  book  we  have  the  daily 
entries,  just  as  the  young  printer  and  shopkeeper  made 
them  from  day  to  day.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  book, 
which  he  paged  and  indexed  and  called  "  Ledger  A," 
we  have  the  individual  accounts  posted.  The  charges 
against  the  "  Masons'  Lodge"  appear  in  both  of  these 

divisions. 

This  valuable  tome,  without  attracting  the  special 
attention  of  any  one,  has  reposed  among  a  lot  of 
Franklin  papers  and  material  for  over  a  century  in 
the  archives  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  at 
Philadelphia,  of  which  Franklin  was  the  first  presi- 
dent. Thus  it  remained  until  a  few  months  ago, 
when  the  writer,  while  searching  among  the  unclassi- 


! 


lit 


fied  manuscript  material  of  the  Society,  came  across 
the  old  account-book.  Recognizing  at  a  glance  its 
importance  and  value,  he  made  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  its  contents,  with  the  result  of  finding,  among 
other  historical  data,  several  entries  of  the  greatest 
value  to  this  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Lodge  in  par- 
ticular, and  to  Masonic  students  wherever  found. 

Here  we  have  documentary  evidence  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Benjamin  Frankldt  which  sheds  much 
new  light  upon  the  days  of  our  Masonic  infancy  in  the 
Western  Hemisphere. 

The  fii-st  entry  to  which  I  will  call  your  attention  is 
the  earliest  definite  evidence,  confirmatory  of  "  Liber 
B,"  of  the  existence  of  an  active  Masonic  body  in  Penn- 
sylvania. It  will  be  recollected  that  Franklin,  in 
his  Pennsylvania  Gazette^  No.  108,  of  December  3  to 
8,  1730  (whereof  more  hereafter),  states  that  several 
Lodges  of  Freemasons  have  been  erected  within  the 
Province, — a  rather  indefinite  notice.  In  his  list,  how- 
ever, of  printing  done  as  recorded  under  date  of  Sep- 
tember 9,  1731,  we  find  the  following  entry : 


'<  Blanks  for  Masons  100 


0  5  0' 


Now,  there  can  be  no  possible  doubt  that  these  "  Blanks" 
were  petitions  for  initiation  and  membership. 

Eight  months  later,  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  No.  187, 
June  19  to  26, 1732,  Benjamin  Franklin  records  the 
meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Hubbard's  Sun  Tavern 
in  Water  Street.    It  is  this  latter  date  which  our  friends 


who  differ  with  us  usually  fall  back  upon  when  the 
seniority  of  their  organization  is  called  into  question. 

The  notice  just  read  from  the  old  account-book,  how- 
ever, positively  fixes  our  date  of  active  life  prior  to 
September,  1731. 

Most  important  to  us  as  Pennsylvania  Freemasons 
are  the  entries  found  in  both  journal  and  "Ledger 
A  "  which  give  Franklin's  account  of  his  dealings 
with  the  "Lodge  of  Masons  at  B[rother]  Hubards," 
the  latter  meaning  the  Sun  Tavern*  on  Water  Street 
a  well-known  hostelrie  kept  by  Brother  John  Hub- 
bard. I  will  also  state  that  the  official  name  of  this 
"  Lodge  of  Masons"  was  "  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
Ancient  and  Honorable  Society  of  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons." 

Second  only  in  interest  are  the  entries  throwing  light 
upon  Franklin's  dealings  with  the  Brethren,  and  the 
distribution  of  the  "  Book  of  Constitutions,"  reprinted 
by  Franklin  by  special  order  for  the  use  of  the 
Brethren  in  North  America.  Franklin  himself  calls 
it  the  "Mason  Book,"  which  has  the  distinction  of 
being  the  first  Masonic  publication  issued  in  the  West- 
ern world. 


*  There  were  two  Masonic  taverns  on  Water  Street  at  that 
early  day,— the  Sun  Tavern,  kept  by  Brother  John  Hubbard, 
where  the  Grand  Lodge  and  St.  John's  Lodge  held  their  stated 
meetings,  and  the  Tun  Tavern,  kept  by  Brother  Thomas  Mullen, 
where  a  Subordinate  Lodge  met  until  the  Masons'  Hall  was 
dedicated  in  Lodge  Alley  in  1755.— J.  F.  S. 


li^ 


8 

A  heKographic  fac-simile  of  this  ledger  account  is 
here  presented  (page  9). 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  various  entries  and  a  com- 
parison with  the  previously  presented  evidence  throw 
considerable  additional  light  upon  much  of  our  eariy 
Masonic  history,  which  heretofore  was  more  or  less 
obscure;  therefore  this  new  contribution  to  our  early 
history  can  hardly  be  over-estimated. 

The  first   important  entry  in   the  ledger  account 
under  date  of  September,  1734,  is  a  charge  for  one 
thousand  tickets.     This  charge  appears  in  both  journal 
and  ledger.     These  tickets  were  engraved  notices,  to  be 
sent  out  for  the  Quarterly  Communications.     The  price 
was  four  pounds  three  shillings  and  fourpence  per  thou- 
sand, or  a  trifle  over  two  cents  apiece.     As  this  lot  of 
tickets  appears  to  have  lasted  until  October,  1736,  a 
fact  shown  by  a  subsequent  charge,  we  have  the  infer- 
ence that  the  "  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons"  at  that  time 
was  composed  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
members.      That  there  was  an   increase  during  the 
period  is  shown   from  the  fact  that  the  next  order 
called  for  eleven  hundred  tickets,  at  a  cost  of  four 
pounds  eleven  shillings  and  eightpence.     A  specimen 
of  these  old  summonses  is  or  should  be  in  the  collec- 
tion of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  where 
it  was  seen  and  examined  by  the  writer  some  years 
ago;  a  diligent  search,  however,  failed  to  locate  it  for 
the  present  purpose. 

Keferring  to  my  estimate  of  the  aggregate  member- 


9 


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10 

sliip,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  assuming  that 
there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  regular  mem- 
bers of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  at  that  time, 
as  now  constituted.  Evidently  the  invitations  to  attend 
were  sent  out  to  all  Masons  who  were  actual  members 
of  the  Lodges  under  the  Jurisdiction  of  Pennsylvania, 
whether  the  Subordinate  Lodges  were  in  Pennsylvania, 
New  Jersey,  Massachusetts,  or  the  Carolinas. 

Then,  again,  all  Masons  were  not  members.  There 
was  a  distinction,  which  is  explained  by  a  reference  to 
the  journal  of  the  Lodge  which  met  at  the  Tun  Tav- 
ern, wherein  it  will  be  seen  that  only  a  percentage  of 
Brethren  made  Masons  within  the  Lodge  became  ac- 
tual members  of  the  Lodge  in  which  they  were  made. 
This  was  another  matter,  which  required  a  separate 
ballot  at  some  time  subsequent  to  the  raising  of  the 
candidate. 

Feanklin's  "  Mason  Book"  was  set  up  and  printed 
during  the  summer  of  1734.  It  was  a  reprint  of 
Anderson's  Constitutions,  originally  published  in  Lon- 
don in  the  year  1723.  A  fac-simile  of  the  title  page 
appears  on  page  11. 

This  "Mason  Book"  was  ready  for  distribution, 
according  to  Franklin's  journal,  in  August,  1734. 
The  earliest  entry  referring  to  it  to  be  found  in  our 
account-book  charges  the  Grand  Lodge  with  a  "  finely 
gilded  Constitutions,  to  the  Proprietor."  This  presen- 
tation copy  must  have  been  for  either  John  or  Rich- 
ABD  Penn,  as  Thomas  Penn,  it  appears  from  Frank- 


11 


THE 


CONSTITUTIONS 


OV   THE 


FREE-MASONS. 


COKTAI^I'NG    TRE 


HiBory,  Charges,  Regulation^  &a 
of  thatmofl  Ancient  andR^c 
Worfhipful  fraternity: 

For  the  Ufe  of  the  LODGES. 

"  ' "  '        '   '  ■* 


LONDON  Priiited ;  J$m» SJ'^l* 

^of  the  Brcttoo  ia  NOXr&^jMBR  ICjU 
la  the  YMMtMnAoff  57^4,   JmLmM  1734» 

'nTL»-PAGB  OF  FIBST  MASONIC  BOOK  PBINTKD  IN  AMERICA. 


12 

UN's  journal,  bought  and  paid  for  his  own  copy.  John 
Penn  is  known  to  have  been  a  Mason,  and  he  was  prob- 
aWy  the  recipient  of  this  finely  gilded  copy. 

Immediately  below  this  charge  is  a  similar  one  for 
the  Lodge.  Then,  under  date  of  August  31,  1734,  fol- 
lows a  charge  for  three  copies  sent  to  Lancaster  County 
by  John  Cathebwood.  Below  this  comes  a  single 
copy  for  MoKGAN  Sexton,  whose  identity  I  have 
thus  far  failed  to  discover.  The  next  entry  is  dated 
August  15,  which  Franklin  had  evidently  omitted  in 
posting,  and  he  so  notes  in  the  margin.    We  have, — 

"  For  8  by  Reynells  to  Lancaster 
For  postage  of  Commission  Ac.  li,  &  |  14    0 

For  Constitutions  sent  to  Boston  70,  Carolina  25   £11  17    6" 

There  appears  to  have  been  a  fatality  connected 
with  the  charge  of  August  15,  1734.  First,  Fbankldt 
omitted  to  post  the  account,  and,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
facHsimile,  when  he  did  finally  post  it,  being  cramped 
for  space,  he  neglected  to  carry  out  the  price  of  the 
eight  copies  sent  to  Lancaster  by  Brother  Reynelm, 
and  that  part  of  the  account  is  presumably  still  open. 

The  two  persons  named  in  connection  with  the 
Mason  Books  sent  to  Lancaster  were  both  well-known 
residents  of  Lancaster  County.  John  Cathebwood 
was  a  bachelor,  and  lived  in  Donegal  township,  where 
he  died  July  10,  1742.  His  property  was  bequeathed 
to  John  and  William  Davenpoet,  sons  of  Jonah 
Davenport. 


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Philosophical  Society,  showing  his  account  with  the  "Lodge  of  Masons" 


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Fac-Simile  of  folio  66-67,  Franklin's  Ledger  "'A"  In  possession  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  showing  his  account  with  the  "Lodge  of  Masons" 


*    » 


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Fac-Simlle  of  folio  66-67,  Franklin's  Ledger  "A"  In  possession  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  showing  his  account  with  the  "Lodge  of  Masons" 


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13 

Brother  Reynells  (John  Reynolds)  was  appointed 
as  a  Justice  for  the  "  other  side  of  the  Susquehanna" 
by  Governor  Thomas,  August  9,  1739.  Many  of  his 
descendants,  I  am  informed,  are  living  at  the  present 
time. 

The  finding  of  the  above  trace  of  Masonry  in  Lan- 
caster, so  soon  after  the  organization  of  the  separate 
county,  is  of  double  interest,  as  it  shows  that  the  light 
of  Freemasonry  was  disseminated  in  Pennsylvania, 
even  to  the  outlying  settlements,  in  the  early  days  of 
our  history. 

Then,  again,  this  reference  tends  to  give  additional 
color  to  the  statement  in  the  celebrated  Cadwalader 
letter,  wherein  Dr.  Henky  Bell,  of  Lancaster,  claims 
to  have  been  one  of  the  originators  of  the  first  Masons' 
Lodge  set  up  in  Philadelphia  in  1730. 

Returning  once  again  to  our  ledger  account,  it  will 
be  noted  that,  as  all  the  above  books  were  charged 
to,  and  paid  for  by,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania, 
we  are  naturally  led  to  the  inference  that  the  Constitu- 
tions were  sent  by  that  body  to  the  Lodges  outside  of 
Philadelphia  which  had  been  set  up  in  Massachusetts, 
Carolina,  and  Pennsylvania,  and  were  either  within  its 
Jurisdiction  or  at  least  subordinate  to  that  Right  Wor- 
shipful Body. 

How  the  Boston  and  Carolina  Lodges  distributed  the 
copies  sent  them  by  the  Pennsylvania  Lodge,  we  at  this 
time  have  no  means  of  knowing.  Whether  they  were 
sold  or  furnished  to  the  individual  Brethren  is  an  open 


) 


14 

question.  In  the  journal  part  of  the  old  account-book 
we  find  two  separate  entries  where  Brother  Feanklin 
sends,  upon  his  own  account,  a  consignment  of  Mason 
Books  to  both  of  the  above  colonies.  A  fac-simile  of 
both  entries  is  appended.     (See  pages  15  and  16.) 

First,  we  have  one  to  Louis  Timothee,  at  Charles- 
ton, South  Carolina.    Timothee  was  formerly  of  Phila- 
delphia, and,  together  with  Frai^klin,  June  11,  1732, 
published  the  Philadelphische  Zeitung,  the  first  Ger- 
man newspaper  in  America.     He  afterwards  went  to 
Charleston,  to  take  charge  of  the  printing-office  which 
was  established  there  in   1731,  by  Brother  Thomas 
Whitemaksh,  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  who  had  been 
equipped  with  a  printer's  outfit  and  sent  out  by  Feank- 
UN.    It   is  to  Brother  Whitemabsh   that  we  may 
directly  trace  the  introduction  of  Freemasonry  into 
South  Carolina. 

The  next  entry  is  for  a  consignment  to  his  brother 
James  Feanklin,  at  Boston.  Feanklin  notes  that 
they  were  sent  by  his  brother  Petee. 

These  entries  may  possibly  help  to  explain  the  post- 
script in  the  Franklin  letter  to  Brother  Heney  Peice, 
of  Boston,  dated  November  28, 1734,  mention  of  which 
has  already  been  made  by  Brother  MacCalla,  wherein 
the  Philadelphia  Mason-printer  states, 

"If  more  of  the  Constitutions  are  wanted  among 
you,  please  hint  it  to  me." 

In  other  words,  Feanklin  was  selling  to  both  the 
Grand  Lodge  and  to  individual  members. 


15 


8 


ii 


16 


17 


That  the  Constitutions  charged  by  Fbanklin  to  the 
"  Lodge  of  Masons,"  as  appears  in  his  "  Ledger  A," 
were  not  for  gratuitous  distribution  among  the  indi- 
vidual members  in  Pennsylvania,  is  proved  by  various 
entries  scattered  through  the  old  journal,  showing  how 
copies  were  charged  to  individual  accounts.  I  will  give 
a  few  as  an  illustration. 

My  first  illustration  appears  upon  the  ledger  page 
directly  above  the  Masonic  account,  where  Brother 
Isaac  Bbown  is  charged — 


*  ♦  For  a  gilt  Mason  book  &  one  unb* 

Upon  other  pages  we  find, — 

«  October  8,  1734  Philip  Syng  Dr.  for  binding  a 

mason  book 
November,  1734  Mr.  Thomas  Penn  Proprietor 

For  a  book  of  Constitutions 
James  Bingham  for  Binding  a  mason  book 
Mr.  Newingham  for  binding  a  Mason  book  gilt 
Edward  Evans  for  a  Mason  book 
March  20,  1735  John  Hubbard  for  Mason  Book 


7    6' 


1    6 


6 
1 
4 
2 
2 


6 

6 
6" 


All  of  the  above,  with  the  exception  of  Thomas  Penn 
and  Edward  Evans,  were  members  of  St.  John's 
Lodge  in  Philadelphia. 

Then,  again,  an  examination  of  the  ledger  of  St. 
John's  Lodge,  "Liber  B,"  shows  that  there  was  no 
mention  whatever  of  any  of  these  accounts  or  items  in 
the  records  of  this  Lodge.  In  addition,  other  items  or 
charges  appear  in   **  Liber  B"  for  books  bought  of 


1 


I 


I 


18 

Fbanklin,  who  was  a  member  of  that  Lodge,  but  they 
do  not  appear  in  the  above  journal  or  ledger  account. 
This  conclusively  proves  the  fact  that  St.  John's  Lodge 
of  Philadelphia  was  a  Subordinate  Lodge,  and  not  the 
"Grand"  Lodge,  as  has  been  wrongly  claimed.     They 
were  two  distinct  and  separate  organizations.     This  is 
an  important  piece  of  evidence,  as  it  shows  absolutely 
the  existence  during  the  early  period  of  1731-1734  of 
not  only  more  than  one  Lodge  in  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia, but  of  another  Lodge  in  Lancaster,  whereof 
we  heretofore  had  no  knowledge  whatever.     To  this 
Lodge  the  Constitutions  were  sent,  and  were  charged 
by  Fkanklin  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania, 
evidently  in  the  same  manner  and  purpose  as  the 
others  that  were  sent  to  Massachusetts  and  South  Caro- 
lina. 

Assuming  the  above  argument  to  be  correct,  it 
folly  bears  out  the  before-mentioned  notice  published 
by  Feanklin  in  his  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  under  date 
of  December  3  to  8,  1730,  wherein  he  mentions 
that, — 

mm Jt  mr  JRsadert. 


I  call  your  special  attention  to  Franklin's  state- 
ment that  several  Lodges  had  been  erected  within  this 
Province.  Franklin,  who  was  an  exceedingly  careful 
journalist,  would  hardly  have  exaggerated  the  number 


19 


of  Lodges  within  this  Province  if  they  had  not  existed. 
This  issue  of  the  Gazette  has  another  feature  of  interest 
to  the  Masonic  student  and  historian,  as  it  contains  the 
first  alleged  disclosure  of  the  Mysteries  of  Freemasonry 
made  in  America. 

I  have  placed  a  copy  of  this  paper  with  the  Library 
Committee.  After  a  notice  referring  to  the  several 
Lodges  within  the  Province,  there  is  printed  an  intro- 
duction purporting  to  have  been  received  from  London. 
It  sets  forth : 

Bribe  Death  <tf  «  Gentkfnan  wliowvooeaftbe 
)B,fllhc.^«)d  of  FREE-MASONS,  ih« 
ta  Utely  happea'd  a  Diicovoy  of  abaodaoce  4t 
SSuticcret  Signs  and  Wooden.  withtI»«:Hte- 
ffous  MauieT  of  tlieir  Admtffion  uito  tfa«t  Iwt 
«inuiy.  The  foHoing  b  a  ttuc  Copy  of  a  l^ufaipl 
triiidi  the  Deecaied  had  written  for  the  Ben<^t  of -htf  own 
ivivate  Rcmeinbrancc,  and  which  was  found  caicc^d  t- 
nm  Ks  choi«eft  Papcrt  in  the  nioft  hidden  fan  of  hu  Ca- 
£3;  The  World  has  long  admir'd,  that  in  foch  a  numc- 
MBK-Gonmany,  many  of  them  not  lemarkable  for  Taciturr. 
tUf.  them  Ji  bteino  one  found,  that  in  his  Cu  w,  o^  in 
my  other  QuCttnfiaoce,  Vrould  difcover  thar  Mytlctia : 


* 


* 


* 


* 


* 


* 


ti 


#  4^  #  :): 

We  (hall  not  u(e  many  Woids 
toporfuadethePubllck  that  the  following  Pieee  is  genuine; 
ll  nmcs  all  toe  Marks  of  Truth  in  itfelf;  We  would  only 
fcfef  tlve  R^cr  to  the  Gondu^l  of  the  Brotherhood  upon 
Ihia  OeokfiOQ  ;  ^  they  rubcule  it,  or  look  vtrygraHe  upon  it, 
orif  fihoyaro  ^  4i^nd  endeavour  to  diaj  it,  hemaj 
be  TOsfied  It  is  the  ma^nth. 


Certain  ear-marks  prove  this  to  have  been  written  by 
the  same  hand  that  penned  "  Poor  Richard's  Almanac." 


20 


Numb.  1 08. 

Gazette 

dvania 

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21 

Then  follows  what  Franklin  calls  the  "  Mystery  of 
Free-Masonry."  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  the 
time  of  this  publication  Benjamin  Franklin  was  not 
yet  a  Mason.  It  was  not  until  February  of  the  follow- 
ing year  (1731)  that  he  was  admitted  withm  the  tyled 
portals  of  a  regularly  constituted  Lodge,  as  appears 
from  the  celebrated  "  Liber  B." 

Benjamin  Franklin,  after  he  was  made  a  Mason, 
evidently  felt  some  pangs  of  conscience  respecting  the 
publication  of  his  ridiculous  "Mystery,"  and,  as  a 
partial  reparation,  he  printed  in  Gazette  No.  130,  May 
6  to  May  13,  from  Chambers's  great  Universal  Diction- 
ary of  all  Arts  and  Sciences,  an  extract  concerning  the 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  but  say  that  it  has  been  to  me  a 
great  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  have  discovered  the 
additional  original  testimony  regarding  the  antiquity  of 
the  first  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania.  But  greatest 
of  all  is  the  feeling  that,  in  presenting  the  Communi- 
cation to  this  Eight  Worshipful  Body,  the  new  facts 
set  forth  go  far  to  confirm,  as  it  were,  the  plea  so  ably 
made  by  our  late  Brother  Clifford  P.  MacCalla  for 
Philadelphia  as  the  "  Mother  City  of  Freemasonry 
in  America." 


-ft 


■ii 


Mu£ciA^    'j^ce.aU^'c^  ^^a^^i. 


M.  M.  COLUMBIA  LODGE,   No.   81. 


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